Carroll County Growth Partnership’s (CCGP) HUB 712 has been selected to receive a $50,000 grant from the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) to support the expansion of its regional center for entrepreneurs. The funding for HUB 712 comes from the IEDA’s Rural Innovation Grant Program, and it was one of only two applicants to receive the maximum award. CCGP needed to provide a 50% match of $25,000 and an impressive $20,000 of this amount was collected through private donations. CCGP Executive Director Kimberly Tiefenthaler says, “We are excited with how far HUB 712 is coming along. The grants we have received are putting us in a position to keep moving forward and to start providing services.” While not fully operational yet, HUB 712 did have its virtual launch on Oct. 16. The HUB 712 website, www.hub712.com, is live and provides one-on-one startup and business management coaching, succession planning, website evaluations, boot camps, and more. HUB 712’s mission extends to the entire west central Iowa region, encompassing Carroll, Greene, Guthrie, Audubon, Shelby, Crawford, Ida, Sac, and Calhoun Counties. Renovations to the HUB 712 site at the corner of Highway 30 and Adams Street in Carroll are underway, and future plans include establishing satellite locations or mini-hubs in other counties. To date, CCGP has been awarded $250,000 to assist in HUB 712’s launch.
